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When I first watched “Last Chance Harvey,” back in
December of 2008, I began to think about other such films
and realized that I usually referred to them in my reviews
as classic romantic comedies. But what exactly do I mean
when I say that? In all likelihood, I mean that readers
should go easy on the film because we’re used to those movies
following a very specific formula, and never mind the fact
that they’re contrived and cliché. ***
I could very well call “Last Chance Harvey” a classic
romantic comedy, because goodness knows it adheres to a
tried and true structure. In spite of that, this is the
one romantic comedy of 2008 that works the best, in large
part because of Golden Globe-nominated stars Dustin Hoffman
and Emma Thompson; whereas other filmmakers would cast young,
energetic actors in a story about sex, writer/director Joel
Hopkins has cast two older actors in a story is about love.
Because they’re more experienced, they actually bring something
to the table. They seem genuine as people. ***
But more importantly, they have chemistry, not necessarily
as lovers but definitely as companions. In other words,
it seems plausible that such people could meet in real life
and fall in love. Hoffman plays Harvey Shine, a jingle writer
from New York who always wanted to be a jazz pianist. It
was easy for me to empathize with him, a somber, soft-spoken
man who always feels ignored in a large crowd. *** Maybe
there’s a part of him that wanted it that way; he’s been
known to embarrass himself and those closest to him, so
at a certain point, it’s better to just stay out of the
way. He openly admits that he wasn’t the greatest father
or husband, and while there’s no hostility between him or
his daughter and ex-wife, there is a quiet yet prominent
sense of disappointment on all accounts. And now, no one
at his music company seems to be taking him seriously. More
to the point, he’s on the verge of losing his job. ***
When Harvey flies to London to attend his daughter’s
wedding, he meets a Heathrow employee named Kate Walker
(Thompson), who, as it turns out, is stuck in her own emotional
rut. She says she would like nothing more than to meet someone
and start a relationship, but since she’s been let down
so many times, she may be getting used to it. Later on in
the film, she admits that being disappointed is more comfortable
that being hurt. ***
Much like Harvey, she also feels ignored in crowds,
as when she’s on a blind date that starts off well but ends
up as a social gathering that leaves her off in the sidelines.
Her only social outlets are her coworkers and her mother
(Eileen Atkins), an interesting character herself; she calls
Kate constantly, pretty much to the point of insanity, and
she seems to think her Polish next-door neighbor is a mass
murderer who burns his victims in a large barbecue shed.
***
Harvey and Kate spend a wonderful afternoon together,
and this is despite the fact that they don’t know very much
about each other. We don’t know if a love is developing
at this point, but it’s clear that a friendship is. While
a bit quiet and reserved, Harvey is kind towards Kate, and
he seems genuinely interested in what she has to say. ***
Kate is willing to go along with it, although her nervous
smiles and hesitant laughter suggest that she has absolutely
no idea why any of this is happening. From out of nowhere
comes a charming American man, and even though he has a
lot of emotional baggage, there’s the sense that she’s interested
in helping him deal with it. Most likely, that’s because
she has baggage of her own; after convincing her to join
him at his daughter’s wedding reception, there comes a point
when she feels exactly the same as she did the night of
her blind date. It’s up to Harvey to make her feel like
she can be a part of the crowd. ***
There are some interesting moments between Harvey and
his daughter, Susan (Liane Balaban). Even though they love
each other in the strictest sense, they are more good friends
than they are father and daughter, which is why she wants
her stepfather, Brian (James Brolin), to give her away at
the wedding. Harvey is understandably hurt, but he can’t
stay mad at Brian forever; after all, he did take over for
Harvey when his marriage failed, giving Susan the stability
and attention she needed. ***
This would be a tiresome story were Brian made to be
vindictive and hostile. Thankfully, he isn’t--he’s decent
and accommodating, a fact Harvey most likely has trouble
accepting. There are few things worse than disliking someone
without having a reason. ***
So yes, I guess I can call “Last Chance Harvey” a classic
romantic comedy. But that doesn’t automatically make it
a bad movie. What really made it work well was the thoughtful
relationship between Harvey and Kate, which isn’t based
on physical attraction so much as it’s based on the need
to be loved. We don’t get too much of that in romantic comedies
these days. ***
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